Golden game: Mayfield and Las Cruces play for the 50th time Saturday; this one for the state championship

State champ will be crowned in 50th game between MHS, LCHS

By Steve Ramirez

sramirez@lcsun-news.com @SteveRamirez6 on Twitter

Posted:
12/06/2013 03:37:26 PM MST

(Picasa)

LAS CRUCES >> Forty-seven years later and the high school football rivalry between Las Cruces and Mayfield is just as fierce as it was when the first game was played on Nov. 17, 1967.

There is even more at stake Saturday as the Trojans and Bulldawgs meet for the 50th time on the gridiron -- the winner will claim the 2013 New Mexico Class 5A state high school football championship. Mayfield has won eight state titles, Las Cruces seven.

Players and alumni from both schools, and longtime Las Crucens who have watched many of the past 49 games could easily argue that every game in the series has been memorable.

But the consensus of everyone who has an opinion of the series is that it has been the crowds, their excitement and electricity that have made the game what it has become.

"Wish I could be there. Instead, I'll be ringside for the Austin Trout fight in Brooklyn," said George Willis, a native Las Crucen who played quarterback for Mayfield in a 1977 state championship game against Sandia. "(I'll be) pulling for my alma mater, of course, it's family. But also proud of the Dawgs."

"I've been going to the Mayfield-Cruces games for a long time," Bond said. "The games are even more special and awesome for me. This last game that was played, I screamed, cheered and hollered so much, I had almost no voice the next day. I'd say that the MHS-LCHS games are even more fun than any other high school or college game that I've been to. There's so much energy with both sides, it's incredible! I love it."

Adrian Bailey saw the rivalry game for the first time when the Trojans won four week ago. He is now hooked.

"I am a native of Pittsburgh, where football is a way of life," Bailey said. "From an outsider's point of view, the atmosphere is electric. And even though I have no affiliation with either school, I was on the edge of my seat. Great game to watch and I will be there Saturday, for sure."

Added Mary Mastrantuono, "Also as an outsider, I can say that the rivalry is exciting, great football and a great family event! I have no dog -- no pun intended -- in the fight, I go simply for the fun of it."

Here are some of the more memorable games played between the Bulldogs-Bulldawgs and Trojans through the years:

Niki Rhynes — For the Sun-News
Junior Danae Rosales, 16, cheers on the Mayfield High School football team Friday during a pep rally at the school.

The first game, 1967

Two years before, Mayfield played its first football game. To allow the school adequate time to build its team, the then-Bulldogs scrimmaged the Trojans, and the Las Cruces High junior varsity team played Mayfield's varsity.

"I remember playing them in a JV game and they beat us, 28-0," said Gene Garcia, who played for the Bulldogs from 1966 to 1968. "They made such a hoopla about it. That we would use the next two years to beat them."

The first game was played at old Aggie Memorial Stadium in November 1967. The only part of the stadium that remains today is the old Aggie Memorial Tower.

Las Cruces' estimated population then was about a fourth of what it is today. There were approximately 25,000 residents and a little less than half crammed into the stadium, which sat about 12,000 fans.

"It was so noisy, so electrifying that first game," Garcia said. "It was so crowded. I remember coming onto the field and we looked up and saw that crowd. You felt something special was going to happen -- and it did."

Ed Boykin was the Bulldogs' coach in that first game, and his memories of that game are still vivid. He coached the Bulldogs to some memorable victories throughout his career, which included a state runner-up finish in 1963.

"I had mixed emotions about it," said Boykin, of that first game against the Trojans. "When they decided to divide the town for Mayfield and Las Cruces High, I wasn't really happy about it. Having played at Las Cruces (Union) High in the early 1950s, I'd known for years that the bigger guys always seemed to come from the north Alameda area. A lot of the really good skilled players, a lot of them with speed and natural athletic abilities, like the Petteses, Wrights, and Singletons, all were from the Mesquite Street neighborhood."

Boykin, served in the New Mexico House of Representatives from 2001 to 2007, also remembered a conversation he and Mayfield coach Jim Bradley had with then-Las Cruces Public Schools Superintendent Earl Nunn.

"Earl Nunn emphasized to me and Jim that it was important we maintained a balance of competition," Boykin said. "Mr. Nunn told us as long as we worked hard at it, the game wouldn't get out of hand. He also emphasized that we had to maintain the proper perspective on the sport of football. Jim and I worked hard on that."

The first game set the mood and tempo for what the rivalry has become. Garcia and Boykin agreed it was a hard-fought game. Las Cruces, because of its 2-7 record entering that first showdown, was considered the underdog.

"We rallied together," Garcia said. "We were clinging to a 13-6 lead late in the game and Mayfield was driving. The play I remember most is Kenny Guynn intercepting the ball in the end zone to stop the drive. We won, 13-6."

Boykin added the Bulldogs' pass defense was the key.

"We knew he (Jim Bradley) liked to throw the ball," Boykin said. "Isn't that a little funny after all these years. So much of Jim's legendary success as a coach has been running the football, but in those days he was known for throwing the ball."

Garcia said he will always remember that first game.

"Even after 47 years it's hard to forget a game like that," Garcia said.

Best of the best, 1975

It was No. 1 Las Cruces vs. No. 2 Mayfield on Nov. 14, 1975, in a game that still has many longtime Las Crucens reminiscing.

The game was played at old Aggie Memorial Stadium. The seating capacity at the stadium was estimated at a charitable 12,000 fans, but it was packed to overflowing that night. People stood in the end zones that in some places were eight or nine deep. Nobody knows for sure, but the generally accepted estimates were that 15,000 and up to 16,000 were at the game.

Las Cruces' estimated population then was about 35,000.

Like so many in the 49-game series, this, too, was a nip-and-tuck contest as the state's two best high school teams dueled. Las Cruces scored on a long interception return to defeat Mayfield 21-13. Three weeks later, Las Cruces capped a perfect 13-0 season with the Class 4A state championship

"Were we surprised then about winning, yeah, we were," said Randy Boyer, a Bulldogs lineman who played both offense and defense. "I'm still surprised about it."

"It was a dream," said Fred Mendoza, of the victory against Mayfield and the subsequent undefeated season and state championship. "The two years before that we only had two victories, and none against Mayfield. But toward the end of that season, the offense started coming on. We clicked, and it was a total team effort."

Championship aspirations, 1999

Jim Bradley left Mayfield in 1972, a season after the Trojans defended their 1971 state title. He coached at New Mexico State University from 1973 through 1977. He then spent several years away from football but returned to Roswell High School where the Coyotes won the 1987 and 1988 state championships.

Bradley, a Las Cruces native, came home in 1995 and promptly led the Trojans to the Class 4A state championship. Mayfield was dominant again in football, proving that with titles in 1996 and 1998. Las Cruces High knew it had to raise the level of its game if it was going to compete with Mayfield.

Enter, Kirk Potter in 1997, and then Jim Miller as Bulldawgs coaches.

In 1997, Las Cruces claimed a 25-14 victory over Mayfield. A year later, the Trojans got beat 25-13.

In 1999, a standout Bulldawgs defense and its quick-strike offense led Las Cruces to 29-15 victory over Mayfield, the first time in series history Las Cruces had won three consecutive games.

It has set the tone for rivalry games since. Of the games between Mayfield and Las Cruces played since 2000, the Trojans have scored 15 more points than the Bulldawgs.

"Once you step on the field and realize (the opponents) lace up their shoes the same way you do, you understand it's an opportunity to play right there with them," said Matt Baker, who played at Las Cruces from 1996 through 1999. It's a philosophy his father, Dr. William Baker shared with him.

Bill Baker was a center for the Trojans and also played in the first game in 1967.

"That first game was quite an experience," the elder Baker said.

Matt Baker said the sights, sounds and excitement of the rivalry game likely was the highlight of the Bulldawgs' season. They capped a 13-0 season with a state championship against Goddard.

"That last game against Mayfield was so incredible," Baker said. "When we played Goddard for the championship, the atmosphere wasn't nearly the same as it was for that Mayfield game."

Reversal of fortune, 2002

Mayfield outclassed Las Cruces 42-28 to win the District 3-5A championship in 2002. But three weeks later, Las Cruces turned it around.

An estimated crowd in excess of 27,000 filled almost all of Aggie Memorial Stadium, on Dec. 7, 2002, and saw Las Cruces rally for a 17-14 victory against Mayfield for the Class 5A state championship. The game came down to two plays: a 79-yard touchdown pass from Bulldawgs quarterback Matt Montoya to wide receiver Tim Dixon. The decisive play was Tyson Ditmore's tackle of Mayfield running back Alex Bernard after the Trojans had driven the length of the field to the Las Cruces 14 yard line. On a fourth-and-5 play, Mayfield coach Jim Bradley opted to run an option play rather than kick what could have been a game-tying field goal.

There was slightly more than a minute left to play.

"We hadn't run it all night, and we thought it would work," said Bradley after the game.

Ditmore got the initial contact on Bernard after two yards. Las Cruces regained possession and ran out the clock.

"The thing I remember most is hearing the (stadium) announcer saying 'the Bulldawgs have won the game,'" Ditmore said. "I remember seeing my older brother (Dustin) coming over to me, and then there were just tears, tears of joy. I'll always remember that day, I'll always remember the emotions."

At stake: The winner of today's game will win the 2013 New Mexico Class 5A state football championship

Tickets: $8 for adults, $5 for students and seniors. Tickets go on sale at 11 a.m. Saturday at Aggie Memorial Stadium. The game is a New Mexico Activities Association (NMAA) sanctioned event, so no Las Cruces Public Schools passes will be accepted

Gates: Aggie Memorial Stadium will open to the public at 11 a.m.

Who sits where: Las Cruces High is the designated "home team" for Saturday's game and its fans should sit on the west - or pressbox - side of the stadium. As the designated visitors, Mayfield fans should sit on the east side of Aggie Memorial Stadium. Since the NMAA has a format that teams who have faced each other before in the playoffs rotate the site of a playoff game, Mayfield last played Las Cruces in the 2008 semfinals and was the "home team" for that game

Parking, tailgating and road closures: New Mexico State University police plan to close Arrowhead Road and Stewart Street at 7 a.m. Saturday until the game is over. To avoid traffic congestion, alternate routes on the west side of campus such as Espina Street and Sam Steel Way are encouraged. Parking lots for tailgating open at 10 a.m. Saturday. Alcohol consumption is not allowed. Trailers, recreational vehicles or towed vehicles will not be allowed. Cooking must be done on electric, propane or butane grills, and open fires or fire pits will not be allowed. Tailgating will end at kickoff and fans will be required to enter the stadium. Parking lots adjacent to the stadium will close one hour after the game. Parking for LCHS team members is available south of the Pan American Center, in Lot 33. Mayfield team parking will be east of the stadium, in Lot 34. For questions or concerns during the game, fans can call 575-646-4264 or send a text message to 386-9467. Maps and more information can be found at www.facebook.com/NMSUPolice or nmsupolice.com

Crowd: Las Cruces Public Schools officials expect a crowd in excess of 25,000. But they anticipate the crowd could easily reach as many as 30,000 fans. A sellout would make the game the largest sporting event to be watched in New Mexico this year, and the biggest in state history to watch a high school sporting event

Radio/TV/Internet: The game will be broadcast on KSNM-AM 570 with the "Countdown to Kickoff" pregame show at noon. The game can also be heard at www.ksnm570.am. The game will also be webcast only at www.nfhsnetwork.com/channels/new-mexico/. It will cost $9.95 to watch the webcast because this is a playoff game and the rights belong to the New Mexico Activities Association

Weather: The National Weather Service forecast calls for mostly sunny skies, with a high near 52 degrees Fahrenheit. Winds from the east-southeast could range from 10 to 15 mph, and gusts could reach 21 mph

All time: Mayfield leads the series against Las Cruces, 27-21-1

Last time: Mayfield defeated Las Cruces 28-20 on Nov. 8 before an estimated crowd of 26,000 at Aggie Memorial Stadium. The victory gave the Trojans the District 3-5A football championship and the number two seed in playoffs. The Bulldawgs' are the fourth seeded team in playoffs, as a result of the loss

Title run: Mayfield defeated Rio Rancho 45-24 in the quarterfinals, and Cleveland 34-33 in last week's semifinals. Las Cruces beat Sandia 56-8 in the quarterfinals, and Valley, 68-36, in the semifinals

Here before: This will be the third time Mayfield and Las Cruces have met in the playoffs. In 2002, Las Cruces defeated Mayfield 17-14 to win the state championship. In 2008, the Bulldawgs beat the Trojans 35-7 in a semifinal playoff game

Who's wearing what: The Trojans will wear white game jerseys with green numerals, green-and-white stripes on the shoulders, white pants, and gold helmets with green-and-white stripes, and a green "M" on the side of the helmets. The Bulldawgs will wear blue jersey with white numbers trimmed in red, white pants, and a white helmet with a blue stripe and an interlocking "LC" logo with a bulldog extending from it